Looking For Zora by Alice Walker Essay

In her essay Looking for Zora, Alice Walker ventures out to Eatonville Florida to find out to a greater extent almost Zora Hurston. Walker masquerades as Zoras niece and goes around inquiring on what was the cause of Zoras death, where her grave is currently, and what was she like, alive. Walker argues that the writers undignified and unfamiliar with(predicate) resting place is far less important than the memories and influence she has left behind. The main appeal Walker uses is pathos, to evoke empathy in the audience. In a way, it is seems like she has do it a personal quest to get a stone to put on Zoras grave as a sign of homage for a great author she was. The author shows an element of surprise when she find out that Zora died of malnutrition. In surprise she states Hell, our condition hasnt changed any since Phillis Wheatleys time. She died of malnutrition(Pg.401) This sounds incredulous to her, so she seeks to find out from another cause of Zoras death from a Dr. Benton wh o was Zoras doctor. Dr. Benton confirms that Zora died from a stroke. He states She had a stroke and died in the welfargon headquarters (Pg. 407). Also we can see that the author uses humor.For example, when she goes to look for Zoras grave, she yells out at the graveyard Zora..Im here. Are you? (Pg. 403). She continues to use humor when she converses with Rosalee as they are looking for Zoras grave. Walker concludes her visit by buying a monument stone and has it engraved then visits where Zora used to live before her ailment and death. I think this was a very interesting piece by Walker. She narrates her journey vividly to show the readers her emotional journey to find out about Zora Hurston. Zora must begin been a really interesting person. From the essay, even Dr. Benton kept saying how she always used her mind and she was so intelligent.Today, most scholars, veterans and other hoi polloi of significance are given a sort of decent burial, but Zora had paupers funeral withou t any tombstone, yet alot of people seemed to know her. Through Walkers essay, she emphasizes the fact that Zora did not necessarily identify with one race, white or black, in particular and did not even have a good affinity with her own family. I believe that Walkers argument had to do with Zoras admiral ability toidentify with cultures besides what many thought should have been her own, black community. I felt that this directly relates to the way in which Zora tried to eliminate the importance of color from her life, although it was an enormous influence on everything she did.